Skip to content

Vandals plague neighbourhood

Residents around the Aspen Heights Elementary School aren’t allowing vandals to sink their fingers deeper into the community this month.

Residents around the Aspen Heights Elementary School aren’t allowing vandals to sink their fingers deeper into the community this month.

A recent spree of graffiti vandalism on garages in back alleys, egg throwing, a few broken windows and minor thefts has prompted some residents to get out and clean up the mess as quickly as possible.

Homeowner Greg Kelly said on Monday that the neighbourhood is fairly closeknit and people like to help one another in addition to looking out for each other’s property.

Kelly said a drive in the area shortly after a graffiti attack on July 22 revealed that at least four residences had been hit.

“It was all the same style of black and red.

“It kind of appeared as if they took a back alley route,” Kelly said.

He said a neighbour across the back alley from him was “hit pretty bad,” so he decided to help clean up that.

He was joined by his six-year-old daughter Saxyn and her friend Eleanor Kyme.

“We have a little circle of neighbours around here so when you wake up and see something, you want to get out and help.

“You kind of feel like it almost happened to you, too,” Greg Kelly said.

“It’s important to show them (vandals) that no matter what happens, you will do something about it.”

Kelly realizes the graffiti needs to be quickly removed or it’s an open invitation for other vandals to do the same.

“Saxyn said the vandals weren’t respectful when they did this,” said Saxyn’s mother Mona.

Saxyn attends Aspen Heights school, which had a window broken this summer.

Greg Kelly said other vandalism has seen eggs thrown at houses, doorbells rung after 10 p.m. and people driving ATVs and small motor bikes in a field where children play.

Greg Kelly said RCMP have been called.

“They do patrol but it comes down to police resources and we realize they can do so much with what manpower they have.

“Personally, I would like to have them dealing with more serious stuff.

“The vandalism is minor but it has to be dealt with,” he added.

Graffiti complaints were up last year in Red Deer, city graffiti abatement officials reported earlier.

The city hired a temporary officer for the summer, which has allowed one person in the department to work full time on anti-graffiti education and enforcement.

People interested in reporting graffiti can call the graffiti hotline, 403-356-8908.

jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com